SINGAPORE — For more than two decades, Mr Thomas Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer of pest extermination firm Pestbusters, had relied on by his own admission, a variety of “inefficient” methods to run his business.

At the start of each day, a technician would have to report to the office, collect a job sheet detailing pest extermination assignments for the day, then make his way to each location, Mr Fernandez said.

If, upon arrival at a job, the technician realised he required additional equipment for the job, he would have to make another trip to the company’s store to collect it.

“If there were any changes, we had to call them one by one,” said Mr Fernandez, adding that the company, which was set up in 1991, has more than 80 technicians. “It became very inefficient, because there were a lot of repeated processes, some of them redundant as well.”

Not anymore. Mr Fernandez is looking forward to implementing his first technology-based solution to improve productivity, following a S$500 million, three-year package of ICT subsidies announced in the Budget speech yesterday.

“We wanted to develop an iPad-based solution to send information to our technicians in the field, but couldn’t find a vendor to deliver what we wanted.

“Now, we can tap the scheme to tailor-make what we want,” said Mr Fernandez, who is also the Vice-President of the Association for Small and Medium Enterprises

“Now, the process can be streamlined so information get to our technicians faster. If, for instance, there is a need to take a 20-foot ladder to a house, we can send that requirement to them immediately, instead of them having to return for the ladder. If they have completed the job, we will also know immediately,” he said.

Pestbusters is one of many companies that can expect to benefit from the new initiative.

Several other companies TODAY spoke to said that they faced such high costs implementing and maintaining ICT solutions that savings from reduced labour resulting from those solutions were practically offset.

The Timbre group of restaurants spends more than S$60,000 annually to maintain its iPad ordering systems, software and fibre broadband access.

All six outlets, with a 250-seating capacity each, are equipped with the systems and high-speed fibre broadband access.

Managing Director Edward Chia welcomed the scheme as the group has to constantly buy new iPads and routers, as well as to pay for regular maintenance.

“Our labour costs did not actually come down as we had to increase salaries to attract people to work for us, so we are spending on both aspects now. But if we had not invested in IT, our manpower costs would be even higher.”

It is the same story with Genki Sushi, which was highlighted during the Budget speech yesterday for using innovative solutions such as an iPad ordering system and automated plate-clearing system.

According to Corporate Development Director James Chan, the company has spent a six-figure sum on implementing the ICT solutions, which were introduced in 2010.

This has enabled them to reap some results: 85 per cent of the labour needed to clear tables, for instance, is now replaced by machines, while waiting times have been halved.

Mr Chan said that one to two new outlets are in the works this year, and the company will consider tapping the scheme, as they are “not averse to using more technology to replace labour”.

However, he said, it will take a while to reap the returns from the high investment in technology. In the long term, this investment will enable the company to offset rising labour costs as well as the effects of a tight market.